Sakura
by moomieluv
Summary: A young woman taking over her grandfather's farm in Flowerbud Village forms relationships where she least expects them. Harvest Moon 64 fic with female OC (MC/player in place of Jack/Pete)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys! I wrote this Harvest Moon 64 fic with an OC named Page (female equivalent of Jack/Pete). I know many of us, including myself, played 64 wishing we could play as a female character, so I thought I would make that happen :). I hope you enjoy! **

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What was it that made Flowebud Village so special? From soaring mountains to rich sandy beaches, plentiful wildlife to quaint cobblestone roads, it was unlike anywhere else. Perhaps that's what drove Page to take over the old man's farm in the first place, or maybe it was something she hadn't found just yet.

A week had passed since Page moved to Flowerbud. She and her grandfather had never been particularly close, however she wasn't very close to all that many people to begin with. Ties with her family were strained and stressful and it seemed that over time her few friends had scattered to the wind. Her life was at a standstill as she felt herself trudging from one day to the next, living with a purpose she just couldn't seem to find.

While some may speculate that the young woman's recent move was just another decision made on impulse, for Page it was much more. She needed space to breathe with boundless time to spend and refresh her senses. The stresses of day to day life seemed to have drained the color from her world and she feared the day would come where she couldn't trudge through anymore. And so, her decision was made. It was time to appreciate life for all it had to offer. After all, life, like the cherry blossoms, was beautiful and fleeting. When the opportunity to take over her grandfather's farm presented itself she simply couldn't refuse. Perhaps, it was fate.

Page had an iron will. She was smart, strong, charismatic, but most of all, she was determined. The blatant doubt in her father's eyes as he challenged her to restore the old farm was all she needed for motivation.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_ It was 6:00 am when Page jolted out of bed, her heart pounding in her chest. A wave of panic rushed over her as she once again realized the overwhelming challenge that lay ahead. She turned off her alarm clock and quickly brushed her teeth making certain to avoid her tired reflection in the mirror. She threw on a red t-shirt and picked her worn pair of overalls off the floor, pulling them up over her slightly pudgy stomach and buckling them. Page quickly tied her curly, dark brown hair into a half pony tail and slapped on her grandfather's old backwards baseball cap as a sort of "good luck" charm. She grabbed a few tools, threw them in her rucksack, and started towards her fields.

"What a mess…" Page sighed to herself unsure if she was referring to the farm, herself of both.

She grabbed her sickle and hacked away at the weeds littering her farm. One by one she managed to clear a small space that she reserved for planting her first spring crops. She stood back and relished in her small accomplishment.

_I've got this. _She thought to herself with determination.

An hour passed…and another…and another and before Page knew it the sun had began to set. Time seemed to pass so slowly in the city. Every minute seemed to drag on and tick by almost as if it were in slow motion. In Flowerbud, time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. The days just didn't seem to last long enough.

Page had just sat down to catch her breath for a moment when she caught a tall, muscular man approaching the farm out of the corner of her eye.

"Crap! Is it 5:00 already?" She cursed to herself.

Page struggled to make herself look busy as Zach, the buyer, approached her empty shipping bin. As Zach began to examine the bin, Page couldn't help but wish she could sink into the earth and disappear.

"Nothing today again I see?" Zach shared the same doubtful gaze Page had seen in her father's eyes a week prior.

"No, not yet." Page muttered, struggling to make eye contact.

"You know, Page, I've said it before and I'll say it again… there's lots to forage in the mountains! You ought to give it a try, you know, get out a little bit."

He wasn't wrong. The young woman could use a little time away from the farm. Zach couldn't help but notice the large, dark circles under her eyes.

"Look," the buyer added "a bunch of us are going to the bar tonight, why don't you join us? You know, get to know some of the townspeople. It would be good for you. Plus, you look like you could use a drink right about now."

Page chuckled and smiled. Her bright brown eyes glistening in the setting sun.

"Ok, ok you're right. I'll be there!" She relented.

Page found herself longing for friends and companionship as of late. Images of young men and women gathering around tables, sharing drinks and laughing with each other filled her head. She smiled again to herself.

"Ok, great. I'll see you later then. And, seriously, you really should start shipping. You're going to need an income to get this place back to how it was." Zach smiled halfheartedly.

Page couldn't help but feel like a disappointment as she had many times before. She felt her confidence and sense of pride somehow managing to slip away with a single comment. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She had been working so hard and yet, had nothing to show for it. She was overworked, overtired, and overly emotional. The brunette shook her head in an effort to rid herself of such negativity. _Come on Page, pull it together. You've got this. One step at a time. _She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Thanks for the advice, Zach. You'll be seeing much more from me."

"Good!" Zach smiled and gave Page a pat on the back. "I'll see you later, kiddo."

Page nodded and watched Zach vanish into the distance before picking up her sickle and heading back into the farm house. She hadn't brought many clothing options with her to Flowebud, as space within the house was limited, however she managed to rummage up a pair of black jeans and a light blue blouse to go with it. She quickly showered, changed, and even applied a little makeup in hopes of making a good first impression. She slipped on some sneakers and headed out the door, butterflies in her stomach.

Page was nervous both with anticipation and excitement as she headed for the bar. She followed the cobblestone path through town towards the square passing the bakery, flower shop, and church. Flowerbud Village had a unique quaintness to it. The town was beautiful and serene, and almost eerily quiet at this time of night.

Page had reached her destination. She took a deep breath, straightened out her shirt, and opened the door.

The door creaked open and shut behind Page with a loud thud alerting her presence. The bar had several small tables scattered throughout, each with one or two people sitting at them. Zach stood to the side of a table drinking a beer.

"Page, you made it! Wasn't sure you'd show, hah." Zach teased playfully.

Page made her way over the table where a young man of about her age was also seated. He was tall with red hair and wore a tattered jumpsuit.

"Hey, I'm Page nice to meet you." Page attempted to strike up a conversation with the young man.

"…leave me alone." Was all he mumbled.

Page looked to Zach, blushing in awkwardness. Zach shrugged and set his empty beer down on the table. The bar was far from bustling with only several young men scattered about. Page felt suddenly intimidated and completely out of place. She felt herself starting to panic when a young woman, also around her age, brushed by her and sat another beer down for Zach.

She was tall and slender with brown hair and blonde strands falling on either side of her face. She was unlike anyone Page had ever seen before. Beautiful in an effortless sort of way, she sported jean shorts, brown boots and a purple vest. Page met her piercing green eyes and quickly averted her gaze.

"Can I get you something?" She asked.

"Uh…um…no, I'm fine." Page managed to sputter out.

"Whatever you say." The young woman walked back towards the bartender without a second glance.

Page saw this as good of an opportunity as any to make a new friend. She gathered up her courage and started towards the bar. Page tapped the young woman on the shoulder and she turned around.

"Hi, I'm Page. Just moved into town, so figured I'd introduce myself." She smiled.

"Ah, taking over the old man's farm. Hah, doesn't matter you'll be gone soon anyway." The young woman scoffed and turned to walk away.

"Hey! Um, I was just-"

Before Page could finish her sentence she was cut off.

"Look, I'm working. Unless there's something you need from me I suggest you just stay out of my way."

The young woman grabbed a few drinks from the bar and turned away.

Feeling slightly defeated, Page waved goodbye to Zach and headed towards the door. Tonight may not have been the great success she had hoped for, however tomorrow was a new day and for the first time in a long time, Page was ready for it.


	2. Chapter 2

_Beep Beep Beep _

Page groggily rolled over and silenced her alarm clock. It was 6:00 am and she had already made plans for the day. Page forced herself awake and sat up in her small, yet surprisingly comfortable, bed. Her bare feet felt cool on the floor as she searched for a pair of presentable jeans. After all, today, she was going into town today and she wanted to make a good first impression.

She settled on a pair of black jeans with a form-fitting red top and let her curly locks hang free just below her shoulders. Page grabbed her glasses from the nightstand, took one last look in the mirror, and headed out the door.

The young woman took a moment to survey her newly inherited farmland. She walked along the foremost edge of her fields pausing to inspect the patch of land she had finished clearing the day before.

"Yessss. No new weeds here!" Page quietly celebrated to herself.

With a final glance, she headed towards the entrance to her farm and was on her way to town.

Page's mission was to buy seeds for her first spring crops. She found herself unexpectedly both nervous and excited as she met the fork in the road. After all, today she was taking the first real steps on her journey to becoming a farmer. It was time to make her grandfather proud and prove those who doubted her, perhaps including herself at times, wrong. She took a deep breath and took a right at the fork.

As Page started down the cobblestone road and into town, she mentally recounted the brief tour Mayor Thomas had given her on the day she moved in.

"Ok, almost there. The shop should be right over here on the left." Page mumbled to herself.

She took a moment to take in her surroundings. The small town was delicately beautiful with little shops and buildings scattered about. Unlike in the city, Flowerbud Village was clean and slow-paced. Villagers strolled about, stopping to chat with each other with no visible sense of urgency.

Page smiled to herself as she felt her nervous anxiety melt away with each passing moment. She felt her muscles relax a bit as she let out a quiet sigh followed by a deep breath of fresh, unpolluted, mountain air. It was so vastly different than what she had experienced in the city. Page found herself longing to be a part of this newfound community as she continued on her journey to to the flower shop.

_Flower Lilia- Open 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Closed Sundays. _

Page approached the door to the flower shop and read the small, corresponding sign.

"Well, here goes nothing." Page silently encouraged herself as she straightened the straps of her rucksack.

She pushed open the door triggering a small _ding _which alerted the shopkeeper to her presence.

"Hello, there! Welcome to Flower Lilia. I was wondering when you'd stop by!"

The shopkeeper was a warm, middle aged, pink-haired woman with soft, strawberry colored eyes. She smiled at Page as she approached her from behind the counter.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lilia. What can I help you with today?"

Page smiled back, pleased to meet such a kind, friendly new face.

"Nice to meet you, too! I'm Page. I was wondering if I could buy some seeds for my farm."

_My farm. _The words had always felt strange coming from the young woman's mouth, however this time she said it with confidence and a growing sense of pride.

"Certainly! Come with me and I'll show you what we have available for spring planting."

Page followed Lilia across the shop to a table with a variety of plant seeds on display.

"So, we have seeds for three different types of spring crops. Turnips grow the fastest, however they do sell for the lowest price. Then you have cabbage over here which takes the longest to grow, but sells for the highest price. Potatoes stand somewhere in the middle, taking a moderate amount of time to grow and selling for an average price. All of the seeds cost the same price at 200G. I know it's a lot of information to take in. What are you thinking?"

Page paused for a moment as she weighed her options internally. Although she ideally would have liked to grow crops selling for the highest price right away, she was currently short on cash and could use some quick money. Once she had a bit more gold under her belt, she could invest in more crops selling for a higher price which could turn into a steady income.

"I think I'll go with a pack of the turnip seeds, please." Page spoke, confident in her decision.

"Perfect! I'll ring you up right here at the counter."

Page fumbled through her rucksack and handed Lillia 200G.

"Here you are!" Lilia wrapped up a pack of turnip seeds and handed them to the young woman across the counter.

"Thank you so much, Lillia. I really appreciate all of your help today."

"Of course! I hope to be seeing much more of you. You have your work cut out on the old man's farm, but I think you have what it takes."

Lillia smiled warmly at Page unaware of just how much she needed to hear some kind words of encouragement in that moment.

"You will, I promise! I am going to do my absolute best. Thank you again." Page gave a friendly wave and turned to leave the shop.

"Oh, Page! One more thing before you go. My daughter, Popuri, is just outside the shop. If you have a moment why don't you introduce yourself? She's right around your age and is very friendly. Like I always say, it never hurts to have too many friends!"

Page's face lit up with excitement. If Popuri was anything like her mother, Page would be glad to call her a friend.

"That sounds perfect! I'll go do that now. I'll see you later Lillia!"

Lillia gave a nod and waved as Page exited the shop.

"Ah, to be young again!" Lillia giggled to herself.

If Page had any fear of locating which young woman was Popuri, they were squashed the minute she spotted her. Popuri shared the same long, flowing pink hair and strawberry eyes as Lillia with a smile to match. She wore a form-fitting black bodice and floor-length red skirt. Popuri was petite, yet womanly and carried herself as if she were floating, rather than walking, along the sidewalk. She seemed to be lost in her own world as she paced up and down the length of the flower shop. Page watched, mesmerized, as Popuri travelled back and fourth pausing to water, what appeared to be, little spaces and cracks between the cobblestone.

Popuri set her watering can aside as Page approached and flashed her a cheerful smile.

"Popuri?"

"Hi there! What can I help you with?" Popuri wasn't used to seeing new faces in town, especially ones her age, and was pleasantly surprised by the newcomer.

"Ah, hi. I just wanted to come introduce myself. I'm Page…I just bought some seeds from your mom and she suggested I come out and meet you! Well, it's, uh, nice to meet you." Page chuckled at her own awkwardness in the situation. She never was great at introductions.

"Oh, yes! I heard the old man's granddaughter was taking over the farm and, well, here you are. Welcome to Flowerbud! If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know. I'm here pretty much every day working on my herbs and helping around the shop or in the greenhouse."

"Herbs?" Page asked curiously.

"Yep! I noticed some clovers growing here in these grassy spaces and around town, but people keep stepping on them so they die pretty quickly. I'm trying to see what happens if I take care of them and allow them to grow. Who knows, maybe they can be useful in some sort of way! I know some people pick herbs and grasses in the mountains so, to me, it's worth a shot. Anyhow, it may sound silly, but it's my very own little experiment."

_Ah, so that explains the sidewalk watering._

"Wow, Popuri that's actually pretty cool!"

"You really think so?" She asked with a whimsical look in her eye that Page couldn't help but find sort of adorable.

"Yeah, I really do! You'll have to keep me updated on your progress."

"It's a deal." Popuri offered her hand to Page and they shook on it.

"Yoohoo!" Un unfamiliar voice called from across the road.

"Hi, Elli!" Popuri yelled back. "I'm sending our new farmer over to meet you!"

"Sounds good!" Elli yelled back.

"Sorry for putting you on the spot like that, Page, but you absolutely must go and meet Elli! Her cakes and cookies are to die for. You'll thank me later." Popuri gave a playful wink.

"Well, I'm a sucker for dessert so I'm sure I will." Page patted her soft belly with a giggle. She never could pass up a good sweet treat. Sure, she wasn't thin, but she also wasn't afraid to enjoy the things she loved, food included.

"I'll see you around, Page. Happy planting!" Popuri grabbed her watering can and continued working on her "experiment".

"See ya!"

Page made her way across the path where she was met by another young woman also around her age. She had short brown hair, tucked behind an ear, and soft coffee colored eyes. Her blue dress reached the floor adorned with an apron and a black bow tie. Although her clothes were conservative, they still managed to show off the young woman's voluptuous, curvy figure.

"Well, hello there! I'm Elli. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Page. I've heard great things about your food!"

Elli smiled. "I think you should taste it for yourself! Come on in and I'll grab you some fresh cake."

Page followed eagerly as Elli led her inside the small bakery.

"Hey, Jeff grab me a piece of cake for our new town resident if you'd be so kind!"

"Sure, thing!" The young man was of medium height with jet black hair, a thin mustache and dark brown eyes. Page couldn't help but notice how he exuded a calm aura and she felt strangely relaxed in his presence. He smiled at her as he handed Elli the piece of cake.

"Thanks, Jeff! This is Page, you know, the one who's taking over the old man's farm." Elli passed Page a fork to go with her cake.

"Ah, of course! Nice to meet you, Page. I'm Jeff, the master of the bakery. Welcome to town and welcome to Flowerbud Bakery."

"Nice to meet you, and thank you both so much for the cake." Page took a bite. "Oh my goodness this is delicious! Popuri was right." The cake was light with a perfectly rich buttercream frosting and strawberries layered in between.

"Tehe, I'm so glad you like it. It's an old family recipe. I'll take you to meet granny once you're done! I'm sure she'd love to meet you." Elli giggled.

"Sounds great." Page managed to mutter between bites.

"You know, Page, we used to get many of our fresh baking supplies from your grandfather's farm. It would be great if you could do the same. Nothing's quite as delicious as food made with fresh ingredients. Having products shipped in from out of town has made it difficult for us to provide a wide selection due to the price of ingredients." Jeff shrugged. Page couldn't help but wonder if he was downplaying his dismay.

Page set her fork down on her empty plate. "Well, I would love to provide you guys with fresh ingredients again. I really will do my absolute best to restore the farm to the way it was. I must say, though, that cake was phenomenal regardless."

"Well, let's go tell granny, shall we?" Elli passed Page's empty plate across the counter to Jeff and opened a door leading to a small courtyard outside.

"Thanks again, Jeff!" Page called.

"Don't mentioned it!" He replied with a grin.

Page followed Elli outside where an elderly woman sat in a rocking chair smiling to herself. She set her knitting down when she realized the presence of her granddaughter and her guest.

"Grandma, this is Page the old man's granddaughter, taking over the farm."

"Oh, my! You sure do look like your grandpappy. So nice to meet you, dear. My name is Ellen. Pete and I were good friends for a long long time. I'm so sorry for your loss. Know that we here in Flowerbud miss him greatly." The old woman took Page's hand and gave it a gentle rub.

"Nice to meet you, Ellen. I only hope that I can make him proud from wherever he is." Page smiled sadly.

"Dear, the harvest goddess is watching over him, I'm sure of it. Perhaps it were she that sent you here to us. I do believe everything in this life happens for a reason. We just need to trust and have faith." Ellen smiled as a breeze rolled in ruffling her bonnet ever so slightly.

"So, have you given the farm a name? It's yours now after all." The old woman smiled knowingly up at Page.

"Yes…yes, I have." Page paused for a moment expecting to second guess herself, but this time the doubt never came.

"Sakura. My farm's name is Sakura Farm." The young _farmer _replied.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Just wanted to throw a small trigger warning on this chapter as there are allusions to domestic violence.**

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"Urgh!" Page threw her watering can on the ground in frustration.

_I suck I suck I suck _she repeated in her head on a seemingly countless loop. She could swear she heard taunting laughter peppering the backdrop of her mind as she kicked the ground.

The young woman found herself seriously questioning her life choices as the setting sun beat down on her.

_What on earth have I gotten myself into?_

Page was sweaty, dirty, and exhausted. She pulled her hair tie out angrily, releasing dark, curly locks from the shackles of a tight bun. Page shook her head and let out a deep sigh. The horizon appeared ablaze as the church bells rang.

_6:00 pm already. What a waste of a day._

The thought of heading to the bar and socializing made Page's skin crawl as did turning in for the night, alone in the silence of her tiny farmhouse. The feeling of both fatigue and restlessness made Page uneasy.

After some debating with herself Page decided that a walk in the mountains should help her cool down and release some of her energy. After all, it was highly unlikely that anyone would be out during this hour. Families were probably sitting around their dinner tables discussing both exciting and mundane events from their days, enjoying each other's company in the glow of the sunset.

Page hated to admit it, but she longed for a cozy life like those she was imagining in her mind. As much as she was ambitious and goal driven, at the end of the day what she wanted most was the comfort of being loved. She hoped she could find that in Flowerbud, but at the same time she feared intruding on relationships that may or may not already be established. The last thing she wanted was to cause conflict in such a peaceful place, but with her luck that might happen anyway.

Page choked back a lump in her throat as an outpouring of infinite "what if's" plagued her mind. She snapped back to reality and took a swig of water from her rucksack. She started down the path to the mountains.

The night was still, almost eerily so, as the sound of distant chirping filled the air. As Page walked, she worked hard to take in each moment, focusing on the sights and sounds so not to let her mind wander too far. She noticed how, in the daytime, the trees lining the pathway provided a much needed shade, but she couldn't help but feel as if they were looming over her in the twilight of the evening. Although she felt alone, there was no sense of urgency or danger as she continued her journey to the mountains.

**_BOOM_**

The sound of a door slamming violently towards the entrance of the vineyard stopped Page in her tracks. She froze as panic washed over her. She wanted to flee, but her feet wouldn't move her. Her mouth went dry and she swore she could feel her blood run cold. Her breath became shallow as she struggled to take in enough air and her hands turned clammy with sweat.

She heard yelling in the distance followed by another loud slam. The yelling intensified as it drew closer.

"Get your ass back in the house, girl or I'll bring you back here myself!" A man's booming voice cut through the stillness of the night shaking Page to her core.

"No! You can't keep me here! I hate it! I hate you!" A young woman's voice spat back.

"What did I ever do to raise such an undutiful, pathetic excuse for a daughter!"

Page heard footsteps scuttling down the hill leading up to the vineyard.

"Yeah, well one way or another, I'll be gone soon so don't lose any sleep thinking about it!"

A young woman came into view as she raced down the path. Page recognized her as the girl she met at the bar not too long ago. Thick, blonde strands of hair stuck to her face as tears travelled down her cheeks. She clutched her knee. It was bleeding.

"And just what are you looking at?" The young woman glared at Page and averted her gaze when it was met.

"I'm sorry…I just…are you ok?"

Page wondered if she had overstepped, however in that moment she didn't care. Her brown eyes met the young woman's green ones.

"We have to get out of here" she spoke with a surprising amount of calm. Like she had done this dozens of times.

"Ok, well you look hurt. You can come back to my farm and-"

"No! I don't want you getting involved with him. If he finds me on your farm…if he sees you…" the young woman's voice now hid a glimmer of panic.

"Where can we go then? I'm not just going to leave you like this."

"I know a place. Let's go."

The young woman was quick and determined, despite her injury, as she led Page along a path towards the Green Ranch. A million questions entered Page's mind, however she kept her silence. Her own worries and frustrations seemed to dissipate as she focused on the person next to her and the unfolding situation.

The pair continued to walk quickly and quietly as the sound of waves began to echo in the darkness. The young woman led Page down a small ramp and onto a small, abandoned beach.

The young woman walked towards the shore and stared out at the sea in silence with sadness in her emerald eyes and a longing that both intrigued and confused Page. She watched as strands of blonde and brunette hair danced with each other in the wind. The ebb and flow of waves provided a much needed calming atmosphere as they lapped up onto the shore.

"Look, I know what happened back there is really none of my business, but we should get that cut on your leg cleaned out." Page broke the silence.

The young woman smiled and tore her gaze from the crashing waves in the distance. She turned to face Page and paused on her face for a moment. To Page's surprise she extended her hand.

"I'm Karen. The other day at the bar…I was rude to you. I'm sorry for that. There's just a lot going on in my life, ok? I wouldn't expect you to understand, but I have my reasons for acting the way I do. Things aren't easy around here."

"Who says I wouldn't understand? In all honesty, you don't know anything about me, so I would prefer if you didn't judge me off the bat." Page replied, perhaps a bit too assertively.

"Hah," Karen scoffed "Well, it doesn't really matter anyway. I'll be gone soon and for what it's worth you'd be smart to consider doing the same. Things here aren't all roses and popsicles you know. Why someone would _choose _to live here is beyond me."

"I have my reasons just like you have yours, but I'll spare you the sob story. Now, about that leg. Let me see it."

Page reached into her rucksack and pulled out her water bottle. Cleaning the wound without proper aniseptic wouldn't help much, but it was better than doing nothing. Karen relented and sat down in the sand next to Page. Half dried blood streaked from Karen's knee down into her white sock.

"So…do you want to tell me how this happened?" Page met Karen's eyes in the darkness as she awaited a response she wasn't sure she would receive.

Karen wasn't used to anyone actually taking an interest in what she had to say. In fact, she often felt more like an object than a person in her hometown. She cursed her beauty which made her stand out from the others in the village. She found that she did everything in her power to keep her distance from almost everyone she encountered. She dreamt only of becoming invisible and undetectable, drifting far away.

Karen took a deep breath as her shoulders sunk, releasing her pent up tension.

"I tripped. I was….running away from my father. He tried to stop me and, well…I kept running. My sorry excuse for a mother may stand for his treatment, but I won't. I won't stop fighting, and I make no apologies for that."

Page realized the hurt in Karen's eyes as she brushed a tear away returning her gaze to the sea.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." Karen gave Page a shy smile in return.

"Ok," Page smiled back "Let's see that leg then."

Karen winced as Page poured water over her knee brushing bits of debris and sand away with the back of her hand.

"Well, it's not perfect but it's better than nothing." Page shrugged. "Promise me you'll properly clean that when you get back home?"

The word _home _pained Karen. She dreaded returning to her promised prison and cherished the remaining moments of her fleeting freedom as sore as they were.

"Ok, ok I promise," Karen paused for a moment "oh and, uh, thank you…you know, for helping me and whatnot."

"I'm happy to do it. And…for what it's worth I'm here if you need me."

Page smiled softly in the silence unsure of how much time had passed.

"It's getting dark. Should we head back?"

"You go on ahead, I think I'll stay here for a while." Karen broke the silence.

"No…I can stay. I'll stay with you until you're ready."

The two returned to their silence. It was somehow comfortable. Neither felt the need to fill it with idle banter or small talk, they simply sat on the shore taking in the hypnotic, fading sounds of waves coming and going as they pleased. Both young women allowed themselves get lost in their thoughts with no effort to fight them.

"_One way or another, I'll be gone soon." _

Page played the phrase in her mind over and over as darkness faded to black.


	4. Chapter 4

Page was finally getting used to waking up with the sun. It had been almost a week since her arrival in Flowerbud and she had been doing her best to establish a good routine in order to maximize her productivity. She still felt like she had no idea what she was doing running a farm, however making the most of her day was a start. She had spent most of her time, thus far, clearing her field and tending to her first batch of turnips which, if all went according to schedule, should be ready to harvest today.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Page froze as she sat up in her bed. She couldn't imagine who would be visiting this early in the morning. She grabbed her glasses and threw on a robe over her shorts and tank top. She rushed to the door after wiping the sleep from her eyes, and smoothing out her wild hair, in an attempt to look somewhat presentable for her unknown guest.

She opened the door to a familiar face. All dressed in red, and as energetic as usual, Mayor Thomas greeted her with an enthusiastic smile.

"Hey, Page!"

"H-hi Mayor Thomas, I…"

Before Page could continue apologizing for her disheveled appearance, Mayor Thomas cut back in with his spiel.

"Ah, Page, did you know that the Sowing Festival will be held tomorrow?"

"Sowing…Festival?"

"Yes, of course! The festival will be held tomorrow in the square at 10. Join us if you like!"

Page simply stood in silence, hoping that the Mayor might explain what this festival entailed. She didn't have the heart to but in and ask, so she simply stood with a dumb smile on her face nodding blankly.

Mayor Thomas paused for a moment. "Well, goodbye. See you later!"

"Yes, see you later!" Page hollered back trying to muster up some pep of her own. Instead, she yawned and dragged herself back into her farmhouse.

_Sowing Festival…or was it Sewing Festival? _Page wracked her brain as to what this festival might entail but rendered nothing in return. She shrugged the thought off and got dressed for the day, settling on a pair of comfortable jeans and a black short-sleeved top. She pulled on her boots and tied her hair up into a low side-bun. She took a moment, pausing at the mirror to admire her newly developing tan.

"It seems I have a tan…a _farmer's _tan…heh." Page joked with herself.

_Sigh._

"My god, what have I been reduced to."

Page grabbed her trusty rucksack and shut the door behind her. She trotted over to her field with hopes of a grand turnip harvest. Her heart sunk as she approached the plants. Rather than the large, round, hearty looking turnips pictured in the flower shop, she was met with eight scrawny, misshapen, anemic looking crops.

"Ohhhh boy." Page bent down to inspect her harvest further.

The scene Page had in her mind of her heaving- and ho-ing, pulling up turnip after turnip, quickly deteriorated as she proceeded to pluck each crop out of the ground with her forefingers. She dropped them into the shipping bin one by one with an unsatisfying _ping. _

Page sighed and tried to brush it off, a task that never proved to be easy for her. After all, her foray into farming wasn't a _complete _failure. She was still able to grow something out of nothing with, essentially, no experience at all doing so. What was the saying? Anyone who never failed, never tried anything new. If anything, her lack of farm knowledge further confirmed her plan for the day.

Today, Page's mission was to head to the library to do a little research. As a self-proclaimed nerd, Page loved to read and was always interested in learning something new. She had a particular interest in the sciences.

This was what Page trained herself to be good at- learning as much as she could about a subject of interest and applying it to her work. Why should farming be any different? Well, you know, except for the physical labor part which she, did not, have a knack for. Page figured that would come with time. Even within the past week the young woman could feel herself becoming stronger. Her endurance for working the fields seemed to be increasing as well.

Page turned left at the fork in the road and took the short walk up the beaten path to the small village library. She couldn't help but feel the slightest bit relieved that none of the villagers were out and about for more introductions. After all, she had a goal in mind.

Page figured she would have the opportunity to meet more of the village residents tomorrow at the festival. Today, she planned to spend as much time as possible in the library while it was open.

A bell alerted Page's presence as she pushed open the door of the humble library. A small collection of books towered atop the small librarian's desk.

"H-h-hello." A petite woman with thick-rimmed glasses poked her head up from behind a book. She had dark brown, almost black, colored eyes with beautiful, silky, thick, raven hair that made Page jealous just looking at it. It was tied back in a single, elegant braid with loose bangs carefully framing her face.

"My name is Maria, I'm the receptionist here at the library if you couldn't already tell." She smiled meekly from behind her glasses. "…nice to meet you…"

"Hi, I'm Page. I'm the one taking over my grandfather's farm." Page tried to muster up some confidence introducing herself this time.

Maria looked dumbfounded.

"…you don't have to say it…I know I don't look the part… Which brings me to why I'm here! Hoping you might have some books to help me get started?" Page flashed her teeth in an exaggerated smile.

"Hehe…I wouldn't worry so much about looking the part. If you were gutsy enough to take on the farm, then I think you look exactly like the farmer we all need."

Page felt her heartbeat quicken. It was as if somehow Maria knew exactly what she needed to hear in that moment.

"Wow, that's…the nicest thing I've heard in a long time… Thank you."

"Of course." Maria smiled. "My dad seems pretty excited to have you here in town. I'd love to help you any way I can. We have plenty of books here on farming…crops, livestock…what were you looking for?"

"Wait a second, your dad?" Page inquired.

"Oh, silly me, I just assume everyone knows. My dad is the mayor."

"Ah, ok, makes sense why the library is right next to his house then."

Upon first meeting, Maria seemed to be the polar opposite of Mayor Thomas, however Page couldn't really find many similarities between herself and her own parents either, so who was she to judge.

"Right, ok books. You know what, I'll look at them all. I have a lot to learn."

"Sounds good to me!" Maria was happy to oblige.

Page sat down at a small table and immersed herself in the books Maria brought her. One by one she thumbed through them, jotting down notes and helpful tips as she went.

"So _that's _why my turnips came out that way…" Page mumbled to herself as she scribbled.

Maria smiled at the comment as she continued reading her own book.

Before Page knew it, several hours had passed. As she neared the bottom of her pile, one book, in particular, piqued her interest. It was a thick book on raising livestock and animal products. A small spark of hope ignited within Page. She always had a natural way with animals growing up. Maybe ranching would be something she was good at.

"Hey, Maria, any chance I could borrow this book?"

The gears in Page's brain continued to turn. Before she could get too ahead of herself, she wrote a note to visit Green Ranch the day after the festival.

"That would be fine with me. I know we don't have many books here, but I hope they have been helpful." Maria smiled softly.

"They've been super helpful! Thanks to your help, I think I may have the start of a plan going forward."

"That's great, Page. I'm really glad to hear it."

"Thanks, Maria. Wow… it's getting late, I should go and let you close up…But, I promise I will bring this book back to you as soon as I'm done reading it. You have my word!"

Page placed the book into her rucksack and swung it over her shoulder.

"I'll see you later!"

"See you soon." Maria waved gingerly. "Um and Page…I'd be happy if you visited the library between jobs."

Page turned back towards Maria.

"I'd like that, too."

The two girls exchanged smiles as Page shut the door behind her and exited the library.

Page made her way back to her farm, taking in the quiet sounds of the early evening as she did so. She allowed herself to get lost in a daydream of Sakura's potential. Chickens, sheep, and cows freely roamed the field, in her mind, covered in freshly grown grass. Bountiful crops filled her shipping bin as villagers dropped by simply to relax and take in the farm's beauty. It was a wonderful sight…it was a wonderful dream and Page was as determined as ever to turn it into a reality. There was no way she was going to let herself down.

As Page gathered the courage to approach her shipping bin and collect the meager pay from her turnips, she heard a rustling from behind some of the weeds on her field.

"W-who's there!" Page froze as she grabbed her rucksack to use as a potential weapon if needed.

The rustling seemed to be getting closer and closer. The weeds shook as a figure made its way towards Page's farmhouse.

"I…I'm not afraid of you! Show yourself!"

Sweat dripped from Page's hands as she tightened her grasp on the rucksack.

_Rustle, rustle, rustle._

Whatever this sinister being was, it was getting closer and closer with each breath. Page gritted her teeth and braced herself for impact.

Page bravely took a step forward onto her field.

"Whoever you are…you can…you can get off of my farm right now!"

The rustling had stopped. Somehow, this made Page even more nervous. She instinctively closed her eyes. What she heard next truly horrified her. She could hear breathing…_heavy _breathing…as if someone were panting maniacally.

_Wait…panting? _

Page pried her eyes open.

Her fear quickly melted away as she locked eyes with a small, floppy-eared puppy wagging its tail wildly.

"Hah!" Page was relieved. "Hello, there little guy!" Page bent down and allowed the dog to sniff her hand.

The puppy's tail wagged even harder as he led Page to a small bowl beside the doghouse by the shipping bin.

"Oh, you must be hungry." Page reached into her rucksack and pulled out a couple of rice balls to put into the dog bowl.

The puppy ravenously consumed the snack and looked up at Page with big, innocent eyes. He jumped up on Page's chest and proceeded to lick her face.

"Oh? You want to be my doggie?" Page giggled as the puppy nuzzled her neck. "Well, ok, if you insist…how could I say no to a face like that?"

Page picked up the puppy and gave him a hug. The wind blew suddenly sending a trail of shivers up Page's spine. She couldn't help but entertain the thought that, maybe, it was the spirit of her grandfather that sent Page her new friend.

"Hmm…what should I call you little guy?" Page thought for a second. The puppy wagged his tail against her arm and proceeded to lick her cheek.

Page smiled. She had the perfect name for the new addition to her family.

"C'mon Haru. Let's go home."

After all, this was the spring that changed Page's life forever.


	5. Chapter 5

Haru snuggled cozily at the foot of Page's bed as she got ready for the festival. Still unsure of what exactly the day entailed, Page rummaged through her drawers looking for an appropriate outfit. She didn't have many options to choose from but settled on some cropped black pants and an off-the-shoulder navy blue shirt to go with them. Page let her dark curls flow loosely down her back and even put on a little makeup for the occasion.

_You never get a second chance to make a first impression. _

Page's mother's famous words played over in her head as she glanced at herself in the mirror for what seemed like the thousandth time that morning. The young woman found herself in a familiar cycle of smoothing loose hairs from her head, only to have them defiantly spring back up afterward.

_You can do this Page. People _like _you. _

Page glanced up at the clock and sighed.

"How is it only 8:00 am...and why is it when I _want _to sleep in I can't. My luck." Page shrugged in Haru's direction.

After having harvested her crops yesterday, Page didn't have much to do around the farm before heading off to the festival, however she was desperate for a distraction. She decided to dig into her borrowed copy of _Animal Husbandry_, and catch up on some reading. Page flipped to where her makeshift bookmark lay and continued reading about the various methods for feeding chickens. She fidgeted in her chair and smiled to herself with growing inspiration for her farm.

It was around 9:10 when Page looked up from her book. She had a terrible habit of losing track of time when she had to be somewhere. She slammed her book shut, startling Haru, and threw on a pair of flats as she simultaneously hobbled towards the door nearly tripping on herself.

"Sorry, little guy! I'm a total klutz, I know it."

Haru seemed to forgive his owner quickly as he wagged his tail, following Page out of the farmhouse. She took a moment to survey her land.

_Once I get my first chicken I can really maximize my profits around here. _The gears in Page's brain churned as she calculated her potential income, one train of thought elegantly leading into another. Before she knew it, Page was stuck in a daydream of bountiful crops growing in place of the scraggly weeds currently littering her farm.

"Oh, crap! I'm gonna be late." Page cursed to herself.

"Alright, Haru. Wish me luck! I'll be back later. Watch over the farm for me!"

Page gave Haru a pat on the head and sauntered off towards the square.

Feeling oddly light without her rucksack, Page made good time as she passed the bakery and flower shop and continued down the path to the square. She smiled as she realized that Flowerbud was becoming more and more familiar to her.

Snippets of laughter and conversation emanated from her destination, causing Page's heart to skip a beat as she approached.

"Well, Page, here goes nothing." Page smoothed her hair one final time, took a deep breath and made her way up the steep stairs to the square.

She was met by a crowd of villagers all holding balloons with little bags tied to them. A large hot air balloon sat in the middle of the square and roared wildly over the crowd.

_What on earth do balloons have to do with sowing? Or…sewing… _Page mulled to herself.

Before she had time to search for an answer to her question, the mayor quieted the crowd with a gesture.

"Ok, everyone! Welcome to this year's Sowing Festival. As I'm sure you already know, this year's King is our very own potion shop dealer, Degas! Please, sow the seeds. Good luck."

A tired-looking elderly man dressed in traditional Japanese garb made his way slowly from the crowd. He smiled, contently, as he took his place next to the mayor, a thin silver mustache framing his mouth. He was shrouded in an aura of calm as he folded his hands in front of him.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…making such an old man do the job. What hard masters."

The crowd erupted in flutters of laughter.

"Now, the important question, sir…who are you going to choose for an assistant?" The mayor asked.

The potion shop dealer scanned the crowd, his eyes landing on a young boy with jet-black hair.

"My grandson Stu wants to go."

Stu jumped up in excitement.

"Is it really ok, Kent?!"

Another boy of similar age with light brown hair smiled at Stu.

"No, problem brother. I don't like high places anyway! You'll have much more fun than I would."

Stu jumped into his brother's arms, enveloping him in a huge hug.

"Thank you!"

The potion shop dealer reached out his hand and guided Stu into the basket of the hot air balloon. Once the pair was securely in place, the mayor stepped up again to speak.

"Ok, then! Let's go!" He signaled.

Page eyed the crowd, unsure of what to do next. The hot air balloon slowly made its way off the ground per the mayor's signal. The crowd watched and waved as the balloon made its way higher and higher into the sky. Page joined in and waved the pair off. Once out of sight, the villagers began to mingle with each other. Page scanned the crowd for some familiar faces, unsure of who exactly she was hoping to see.

A familiar anxiety took over Page's chest as a sense of isolation set in. Everyone around her seemed to be chatting in small groups or pairs.

_I'm sticking out like a sore thumb here…Ugh, I'm so awkward! Think, Page, think. _

Just as Page found herself silently praying for someone to wisk her away, she locked eyes with the mayor who was steadily approaching her.

"Ah, Page, you came! You see, during this festival, everybody except the King fixes seeds to a balloon and lets it fly. You can go see Lillia over there and get one when you're ready." He explained excitedly. "Now, go mingle! Have fun!"

Page thanked the mayor, gritted her teeth and made her way into the crowd. Now that she was given a mission, she searched with a goal in mind: find Lillia.

"Excuse me, you look a little lost…can I help you with anything?"

Page's light brown eyes met a pair of striking blue eyes smiling from behind oversized glasses. The young man standing in front of her had thick red hair which tumbled over a white headband.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Rick. You must be our new farmer. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said reaching out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Page. Nice to meet you, too!" Page subtly wiped her damp hand on her pants before taking his outstretched one, giving a firm handshake.

"You picked a good first festival to come to…famers always seem to like this one. You see, the wind tears these bags and scatters the seeds while the balloons are in the air. Hopefully, some of these seeds will end up on your farm as well!"

"Well, I can definitely see why farmers would like this festival. I sure wouldn't be opposed to some free seeds. I need all the help I can get." Page smiled weakly.

_Oh, thank God. He's…nice! This is good. See? Everything is fine. _Page thought to herself as Rick went on to explain how someone was to become the King of the Sowing Festival. Page nodded and smiled appropriately, lost in her own racing thoughts.

"Hey, Page would you-"

Before Rick could finish, an energetic redhead bounded over with similarly striking blue eyes. A single braid on top of her head, tied in a large white bow, swung wildly as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

"Hey, cousin! Who's your new friend?"

"This is-"

"I'm Ann! Nice to meet you…and you are….?"

"Page, nice to meet you, too!"

"Page is our new farmer." Rick added with a smile.

"Oh! So, we're basically neighbors. My brother, father and I run the Green Ranch. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other!"

Page lit up with excitement at the mention of Green Ranch.

"I was thinking of stopping by tomorrow, actually!"

"Oh, perfect!" Ann looked Page up and down as if in deep thought for a moment, her strong eyes burning through Page like a laser. "It's kind of a girl thing, this festival…speaking of which…"

Popuri and Elli chatted as they made their way over to the growing group surrounding Page.

"Isn't this festival the best?" Popuri asked dreamily. "I wish flowers could blossom in the water and on the clouds, too."

"It's a nice thought." Page added as she watched Popuri spin in a tight circle, giggling.

"Feeling overwhelmed yet?" Elli asked half-joking. "There's a lot of us, I know!"

_Yes, actually. Yes, I am. _Page thought to herself. Although, she had to admit it, she wasn't completely opposed to the sudden attention she was receiving. Things like this rarely happened to Page back in the city. She felt…important for once…like she mattered.

"So far, so good! Everyone has been so nice and welcoming." Page giggled. "Heh, I do think I'm the only one without a balloon, though. I'm going to go grab one!"

Page began making her way across the square towards Lillia, when she spotted Maria standing to the side. The two caught each others' eyes and waved from across the square. Page quickened her pace and made her way over to her new friend.

"Hi, Maria, enjoying the festival?" Page felt almost relieved to be in her presence.

"Oh, Page! Good to see you."

Maria looked distracted as her eyes darted back and forth towards a tall woman with perfectly quaffed, shoulder length black hair hovering at her side. She wore an elegant white and green dress, complete with gloves and a pearl necklace.

_Woah._ Page thought, careful not to say it out loud.

"T-this is my mother." Maria introduced. Page wondered if her friend had caught her staring.

"Ah, Page I have heard a lot about you lately. Welcome to Flowerbud. My name is Anna. Nice to finally meet you."

The next twenty or so minutes were a total blur for Page. She found herself wondering if going to talk to Maria was worth it as Anna proceeded to introduce her to the village pastor, Pastor Brown, and two of the, village children May and Kent, who had far too much energy for Page to keep up with at the current moment.

_Ok, now I'm _really_ starting to get overwhelmed. _Page thought to herself as she slyly made her way to Lillia, carefully avoiding further conversation.

"Hi, Page! Looks like you're the last one. Here is your balloon. Is it ok to give the sign to let them fly? Anything left undone?"

"Nope, nothing!" Page happily took a white balloon from Lillia. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was glad the festival seemed to be coming to an end.

_Phew._

"Ok, everyone! Let the balloons fly!" Shouted Lillia.

On the count of three, everyone released their balloons and cheered them off into the sky. Page watched, mesmerized, as a chorus of colors danced with each other over the mountains.

"I hope some of my seeds reach your farm, Page." A newly familiar voice pulled the young woman from her trance.

"Thanks, Rick. Maybe with some flowers my farm wouldn't look so pathetic." Page giggled, sticking her tongue out jokingly.

"Hey, I have faith in you! Rome wasn't built in a day, you know. At least…that's what I tell myself." Rick paused for a moment, looking down at his feet.

"Hmm…what do you mean?"

"Oh, well…heh you know, since you asked and all…"

Page waited in silence wondering what in the world Rick could have up his sleeve.

_Out with it, boy._

"Ahem…I am an inventor you see. It's…it's my passion!"

"Oh, wow! That's great Rick. What sort of things are you working on?"

"Oh! All sorts of things! There's…um…heh…" Rick looked increasingly dejected as he avoided eye contact with Page altogether and looked down at his feet.

"Well, to be honest with you…I'm lacking inspiration at the moment. I don't know what's gotten into me, lately. I just can't seem to focus."

"Hmm…what was it you just told me? 'Rome wasn't built in a day'?" Page watched as Rick's face began to light up again.

"Let's both do our best." Page smiled gently. "We can make a pact right here not to give up on our goals." Page found herself feeling surprisingly optimistic.

"Yeah! That's a great idea. Pinky swear on it?"

"Pinky swear."

The two new friends locked pinkies and shook on it.

"A deal's a deal! I'm going to hold you to it." Rick chuckled.

"Psh, you better." Page giggled, finally feeling more at ease amongst the scattering crowd.

"You're a cool chick, you know that Page? W-we should do this again sometime! This…I mean…not necessarily the festival, but…you know…hanging out! Or…or something" Rick managed to nervously sputter.

"Heh, yeah totally!" Page could feel her hands beginning to dampen again.

"Alright, well I've got to get going Page but…I'll see you later!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Page was grateful to follow behind Rick as he started down the path back into town. She hadn't noticed she had been holding her breath until she let out a deep sigh, once away from the crowd.

Page was exhausted. She took in her surroundings as she made her way towards Sakura, enjoying all the small nuances of the evening. The sky looked even more beautiful than usual as the setting sun painted the horizon in a violet hue.

As she finally made her way to her farm's entrance, she was happily greeted by the newest member of her family. Page smiled widely.

"Haru, I'm…home."

_Today was a good day and I'm going to have a good sleep._


End file.
